The FIA Race Stewards have decided to take no further action against Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz following their dramatic late-race collision in the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The incident occurred during a fierce battle on the penultimate lap, where Perez’s unsuccessful move on Charles Leclerc left him exposed to Sainz, resulting in both drivers crashing out of podium contention.
Despite the high-stakes crash, the Stewards ruled the incident as a racing one, with neither driver being primarily at fault. The official verdict stated:
“As the two cars approached the wall on the right at the exit of Turn 2, they were about 1m apart. Neither driver steered erratically, and both maintained a neutral steering line.”
The Stewards’ review highlighted that Sainz followed his typical racing line, albeit moving slightly away from the wall, while Perez also moved slightly but did not exhibit any unusual behavior. Although Sainz was ahead and had the right to drive his line, the verdict acknowledged that Perez could have taken more action to avoid contact. Ultimately, both drivers were deemed to have shared responsibility, and no penalties were issued.
Verstappen Also Escapes Penalty After VSC Breach
Max Verstappen was also cleared of a potential penalty following an investigation into a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) infringement. After the Perez-Sainz crash triggered the VSC, Verstappen was found to have overtaken rivals post-race while the caution was still in effect, which is explicitly prohibited under F1 regulations.
Despite this, the Stewards opted to issue only a warning, citing that drivers often pass each other after the chequered flag, but it becomes a breach when done under VSC conditions. The decision also took into account a similar incident earlier in the season that had gone unnoticed. The Stewards issued a final caution:
“Further breaches may incur significant penalties.”
Other drivers, including Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, and Nico Hulkenberg, were similarly warned for the same offense.
McLaren Fined €5000 for Pit-Lane Breach
McLaren’s post-race celebrations were slightly overshadowed by a €5000 fine for prematurely having team personnel and equipment in the pit lane while cars were still actively pitting. The Stewards labeled this as a “potentially unsafe” scenario and handed the fine for violating Article 34.13 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations.
In summary, both Red Bull and Ferrari managed to avoid significant penalties despite costly crashes and infractions, allowing the championship battle to continue with minimal disruption as the 2024 season progresses.
